Cello String Review Comparison on the SAME cello! Buy Thomastik or Pirastro larsen jargar?

[@MaiaCG98]

Jargar 4:03 "The beginner strings" Jargar Superior 6:48 "The I'm not a beginner anymore" Larsen Standard 10:04 "Warmth on top strings, mellow on bottom" Larsen Solo 12:26 "More focused, even, projecting, cutting" Pirazzi 17:00 Great reverberation! Pirazzi Gold 20:53 "Fuller version of standard pirazzi's- still strong resonance" Obligato 23:20 24:06 "Much thicker string, hard to get going" Perpetual 26:59 "Combination of Pirazzi and Larsen, sustain well" Piranito 29:37 "Hardy, long string life" warm D, G, and C, screechy A D'addario Helicore 34:48 "Only downfall is the A string is cutting" Full, strong D'addario Kaplan 37:04 37:38 "Can't complain, very even sound, strong, higher tension" Combinations Larsen Medium A & D + Spirocore Tungsten G & C 41:27 "mostly used combination by professionals" Larsen Medium A + Pirazzi D + Spirocore Tungsten G & C 45:53 "strong, easier transition, 600 thumbs up" Larsen Medium A & D + Larsen Magnacore G & C 48:11 "Aggressiveness at bottom, mellowness at top" Oh look a compilation at the end 49:50... that I just realized xD

[@rbodinnar]

thanx :)

[@snootzie78]

Spirocore and Jargar combination work for me.

[@KristiGay1973]

Last combo is mine. Larsen Soloist on top two and Magnacores on bottom two. Makes my cello belt it out when needed. Can be mellow when played with a sensitive bow. Great combo!

[@ericross5048]

Thank you man!!!

[@KristiGay1973]

I use Magnacore G and C, Larsen Soloist D and A. Absolutely love them. Super pricey at around $400 a set. And on my intermediate $3500 cello, they are like putting a racing engine in a mini van! Still love them though!

[@pauljohnson6233]

A massive amount of work and knowledge has gone into making this post. As a cellist and teacher, I'd like to give you a massive thank you.

[@stapizo]

The amount of work you've put into making this great video deserves all my thanks. Thank you for your hard work, it helped thousands of people around the world, just like me, a cello player from France. Keep it up sir, and again, thank you!

[@bartonjones5355]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Something so very much needed by the cello world!!!

[@genloke98]

Compilation 49:50 Larsen solo 51:05 Evah pirazzi 51:29 Evah pirazzi Gold 51:54 Perpetual 52:43 Larsen + Spirocore 54:22 Larsen + evah + spirocore 54:50 Larsen + Magnacore 55:16 Listening to these combinations in quick succession, it seems Spirocore still has the strongest rumble on the lower strings. On the top strings, Evah pirazzi has a great ring though Larsen is still nice. I'm wondering about Spirocore CG + Evah Pirazzi AD 🤔 Excellent video. A treasure for cellist. Thank you

[@allisonchoi9833]

My cello teacher recommended Kaplan strings for my cello and I was wondering what differences all the cello strings have. Your great work let this beginner enlightened. Very helpful. Thanks!

[@LaDivinaLover]

I must say the combination of the Larsen A, Pirazzi D, and the Spirocore tungsten G&C sounds the best to my ear. And buying individual strings lowers the cost by a great deal as you can find them on sale a lot of the time. Thanks for this!!

[@skalleyboy]

Really useful video, probably the most comprehensive string review on youtube, really helped me get strings for my new cello. Thanks!

[@karlmercado]

What did you end up getting? :)

[@marthereinard4013]

Thank you so much for your great help with optimal string choice, dear Richard, you are just a wonderful luthier and person!

[@Kenji1685]

Thank you SOO much. This video must have taken a long time to make. Much appreciated.🙏

[@mermaidelina]

Thank you for this! So in depth, and so very interesting to hear how strings can make a huge difference. I've used the Jargar A and D with Spirocore G and C for years but am looking to change things up and this was just what I needed! Thank you!

[@jvk3861]

My combination strings is the A/D Larsen Soloist and G/C Larsen Magnacore. It's wonderful, the Cello has the Low notes and the high notes extremely defined and focused.

[@tommorgan1722]

Thanks. Appreciate your hardwork and humor. Changing strings soon and your video has convinced me to try the Magnacore C & G with the Larsen D & A. If I lived in Australia, Whitehorse Music would be my music store.

[@rbodinnar]

I was surprised by the sustain and brilliance of the Evah pirazzis!

[@elenapolevaya8549]

What a great review! Thank you so much.

[@danielmalter3373]

Evahs, not gold, sounded the best of all sets. Golds sounded like it was difficult to play them in a way that prevented the sound from falling apart on this cello.

[@dougharlow5781]

Wow, that had to have taken a great deal of time and effort on your part! Thank you so much! This video was full of your helpful information and opinion! I am grateful for all your help!

[@mintonmiller]

absolutely wonderful discussion and demonstration. Very helpful. Thank you seems like such a small thing to say for all your work and knowledge that you have shared, but I really do thank you.

[@matthewbugg8244]

Love this video. I've just bought my first cello. I'm really a violinist but really fancied trying to learn a new instrument. Can't wait to try a combination of strings.

[@YuliTek]

Most useful string comparison I have seen, thankyou for all the hard work.

[@alexmurphy5417]

I always wanted to like Larsens they sound so full and smooth on many cellos. Larsens tend to choke my cellos tone especially on top.

[@Liz-ru2io]

thank you for this comprehensive and in depth review! it’s difficult to find anyone having this discussion on youtube in this amount of detail. it’s much needed since cello strings are ridiculously expensive. thank you so much!

[@Toksviolin]

Thank you very much for this. I will forever remember it.

[@kevinlebagousse6517]

The Warchal's strings are unfortunatly missing!!! I hope you could make a review.

[@tevbuff]

Warchal Brillant Cello strings are great. Best synthetic core strings in my opinion.

[@kentremblay7148]

Thank you so much for the time, effort and cost you put into this demonstration of these different strings. You've saved me maybe years of trial and error and significant expense. 🙏

[@mcfsharp]

Thank you Richard, very helpful, excellent review.

[@rbodinnar]

thanks for watching :)

[@journeymancellist9247]

What a very charming video!

[@galsina]

Very helpful video and I wanted you to know that I really appreciate the work you put into sharing this with us. I've listened to it many times over the years. It's nice to imagine playing a better instrument with incredible strings but it's hard to justify spending so much on both when the budget is so tight. My hope is that since I just play in a community orchestra - the specific timbre of my strings won't be that important and I can get away with many more years on the original strings.

[@stevenhorst7315]

Thanks for all the work and a great video. I've stayed with Jargar A and D and tungsten Spirocore G and C for over 20 years. Tried Larsen top and silver Spirocore but neither seemed to go well on my cello. (The silver actually brought out a wolf tone.). However, I didn't know the Jargar Superior or Larsen Solo, and liked both of those in this comparison, and the Pirazzi was remarkable -- singing A/D and well-matched strings, though I think I'd keep with the tungsten Spirocore. You just stroke them and they purr. Loud and full. Now I'm debating Jargar Superior vs. Pirazzi for the upper strings, though the Larsen A/D sounded very different when paired with the Spirocore as opposed to either line of Larsen G and C. Of course, they will all sound different on a different instrument, and I'm planning to change tailpiece and endpin as well, so who knows. (I know that it would make sense to change one thing at a time, but I will leave the tailpiece and endpin to the luthier, and don't want to make more trips than needed.)

[@dizzyd254]

What a great attitude to what you do, this has been so informative for any cellist having to plough through the field of strings !! Such an expensive mistake if you don't have some idea of what you REALLY need for your cello to sound it's best. Yes the experts can do what they do , as yourself but it's down to personal preference in the end so at least you can tell the experts what you want from the sound on your precious cello and what you can afford 😀😆 thank you for this video.

[@5amJones69]

This would be a great video if the audio quality was any good. However your insights are still useful so thank you for taking the time to make it.

[@lustucrugf5591]

Nice video, only issue is that to be allowed to shine properly, each string change has to be accompanied with minor adjustments (soundpost or bridge position at least). Only then can you really tell what the best option is, even if what you showed us was really interesting, I just think people should understand there's much more depth to it than just buying new strings.

[@yngveskarphedinssons]

The word for the A string is Nasal! Awesome work on taking time on doing this comparison video.

[@zuccacello3362]

My teacher suggested to switch to spirocore+ larsen combo. I just recently switched from *(2nd hand Jargars)* to *(Spirocore + Larsen **_soloist_** )* The difference is amazing, especially the Spirocore. Deep, powerful yet beautiful sound and the strings are much easier to play. big thanks to you Richard for all those Strings changes ;)

[@rbodinnar]

no problem :)

[@thanasis-_-]

what strings did you use ?

[@MsCellobass]

I use obligatos for just the G string. It really brings out both my cf cello and a traditional one.

[@JackChessa]

I have not played Pirazzi strings but am now very interested. They sounded the best on that cello IMHO. Great video! Thanks so much

[@NadiA-mi9up]

Thank you so much!!! It so difficult to choose strings!))

[@matthewreed4038]

This is extremely useful, but I really wish synthetic and gut strings were thrown into the mix.

[@matthewreed4038]

Actually, I just learned that the bottom 3 strings of the Obligato are synthetic -- particularly heavy synthetics though. The A string is steel, which explains why it's so different.

[@tevbuff]

To be fair Pirastro Obligato strings are synthetic core strings. So they need a some time to stretch out and settle before they reach their full potential.

[@zuccacello3362]

I listened to some samples they and the gut strings sound very beautiful. Do you have them on your Cello or do you prefer some other strings?

[@tevbuff]

I used them once on my Cello and loved them! They such a rich sound. But they are expensive. I’m a big fan of Synthetic Strings and wish there were more options for Cello. Steel strings seem to be the norm now.

[@liliankelly1362]

They do, and they are brilliant strings.

[@jobmusic4286]

Thank you very much for your great work and sharing!!!

[@rbodinnar]

happy to help :)

[@ardieson4542]

Thank you for this elaborate review .

[@jorisArt]

I am grateful for this comparison, and have studied this video several times when deciding. I’m sorry you’re not in Canada! BTW, can you tell me about your cello? I liked it very much-nice sound.

[@blintemp]

Just curious, how many people can really tell those different strings with a double blind test?? It will be interesting to see.

[@matthewreed4038]

Using decent headphones, there were obvious differences between strings that I'm sure I would hear. I got the impression that he was hearing more than I was though. Either because it's different being the player (because it sounds different, you feel the vibrations, and you're aware of the different possibilities for shaping the sound), or because the microphone didn't pick everything up.

[@gabrielpssoa]

Actually you have to spend some time with the strings in order to understand everything about them. Not just listening, but playing.

[@stevencorley3296]

So let's get real. Which ones sound best when they are 6 months old?

[@heathermcdougall2399]

Larsens A&D with Spirocore Tungstnens on G&C. (Must be the Tungsten Spirocore's) They go on forever. N idea what Evah Priazzi cello strings are like but the vi9lin evah Pirazzi's go on forever too

[@stevencorley3296]

@@heathermcdougall2399 Thanks for the tip, I will keep that in mind.

[@iannovak3645]

Would a combination of Pirazzi A & D with Spirocore Tungsten G & C work? Asking because I love the sound the two springs offer yet this is my first time shopping for strings.

[@rbodinnar]

Yes, I think that would be a big , strong combo :) Rich

[@MrStrauss888]

Thanks it so helpfull, What about Magnacore, Arioso and Belcanto or Belcanto Gold ?

[@sherryvanrijn5453]

Outstanding! Thank you so much!!

[@nicolasrahnama6333]

fantastic video thank you very informative.

[@sehaydu]

Great video! Any thoughts on the Larsen Crown Cello string set?

[@rbodinnar]

sehaydu sorry i didn't see your comment earlier. I haven't tried the Larsen Crown set. Ill let you know when i try them :)

[@Dparrey]

In my fairly untrained ears they sound similar to Jargars in that they're fairly bright but I'm not particularly impressed by the G and C strings. However for the price point I think they're a good. No issues.

[@alainhalimi3821]

Hi how about Prim strings? any thought?

[@lawnerddownunder3461]

I've only just found your channel, and loving your thorough reviews. I just bought an Enrico student 2, which was fitted with D'addario Helicore strings. The A string is definitely too "metallic" for my preferences and doesn't seem to be in keeping with the tone of the other 3, if that makes sense. What would you recommend for the A (and D) string?

[@thanasis-_-]

i would recommend larsen medium for the A string

[@marisol9171]

Your cello sound SO good ! where did you buy them ?

[@peachtree8074]

Thank you so much! This is just great!

[@sametpolat009]

Excellent job.Thanks for all your effort for do this usefull job.But what i saw from this video is that there are no more difference bettween strings and it dont need spent more money for expensive strings.Their voice not that different as much as their price!

[@XDuFELL]

Hi Richard, great video! looking forward to trying some of these. What would you say the difference is, between the standard Larsen A+D and the Magnacore A+D? I bought the Magnacore a+d a few months ago coming from Kaplans, and was looking to change strings soon and thought of trying the standard Larsens. Thanks for your time!

[@rbodinnar]

Hi Rick, I strangely don't think I've tried the Magnacore a and d... or maybe I have and can't remember.... but I am a huge fan of the Larsen a and d, so I'm sure it can't go wrong. I know the stardard larsen C and G are a lot warmer sounding than the Magnacore C and G, so maybe that will be true for the a and d as well....

[@heathermcdougall2399]

@@rbodinnar This is good advice. Go for the Larsen A&D.

[@lanaromo653]

What a GREAT video, i enjoy it 🎉

[@Henrik.Yngvesson]

I bought a student cello in the range of €550 from Thomann and the D and C string sounds very dull when you take a note on them. Open sounds somewhat okay but it's like an overtone is silencing them when you take any other notes on them. It came with Jargar Classic Medium strings. I had a cheap crappy chinese electric cello since before and took the D string from it and it got better volume but too much of the sharp screetchy sound like the A string. Any ideas on what to do? Is it just strings or some other issue?

[@jenna2431]

Wow, for something about sound, it might have been nice to have been able to HEAR IT.

[@winklies]

In the spirocore, pirazzi, Larsen combo, what version of strings? Like is it pirazzi gold or standard? But for all 3

[@danielortega7107]

X2

[@menyjackets593]

thankyou, but what price range was the cello itself?

[@cindymcfarlane9371]

Great information!!

[@mistymountains9968]

My daughter bought a cello that has Helicore G and C, and looks like Kaplan A and D. When it was first bought the D string was beautiful, but the neck broke (from a fall on ice - it has been repaired) and now the A and D sound too bright, and the sound post has been repositioned a few times to try and sound better, but just isn't helping. She and I both like the Jargar Superior (we both like the mellow, deeper, round sounds) in your video and wonder if she should try that set, or if she could try just the Jargar A and D with the Helicore G and C? What are you thoughts? Thanks so much for making this very helpful video.

[@rbodinnar]

Often, if the neck of a cello is angled lower than it should be, then the A and D will sound brighter and thinner than otherwise. It sounds like the angle of the neck is lower than it was before the repair... you can have it re-angled, but its an expensive operation. Stringwise... I think a Jargar superior set would be good, or replace the A and D with Larsen. The standard Jargar are a bit brighter on the A than they used to be. -Rich

[@siwy4don]

What do you think about spirocore C and G, and magnacore A and D? Or would it be better with soloist A and D? I'm looking for a bit less harsh A and not that harrd because it's a bit too hard in very high thumb positions on the A string. At the moment I have a pirastro perpetuel soloist set.

[@rafaeldelimaluna9809]

jargar A is very good, test.

[@edgargil8318]

Hi Richard, thanks for an excellent test and the effort you put into it. I have an inquiry: I have, as many cellists out there, the C,G Spirocores and the D, A Larsens on my cello. But I have noticed that the G Spirocore tends to be much brighter than the C string, sometimes touching the border of ugliness. Which G strings do you recommend to try as substitute?

[@rbodinnar]

Thanks :) The Spirocore G string tends to vary a bit... to the extent that I sometimes have a bunch of 'too bright' spirocore G strings sitting aside for the right cello. The first G string that comes to mind is the Evah pirazzi. Its right in the middle of the Brightness of the Spirocore C and the Larsen D. I found the Jargar superior G string to be brighter than expected, but not as bright as the Spirocore , so would be another option. Evah gold would work too, but I think the plain Evah would be my first choice :)

[@user-ok6ef9zn4f]

I've noticed the same thing, I now use jargar superior and it works really well on my cello

[@joefagan9335]

I’m transitioning from violin to cello. I’ve bought a Stentor Conservative and the strings are 10 years old brass strings with a lacquer coating - no idea what they are old (but sound good to my new-to-cello-ears except maybe a little muddy on C). Anyway I’m changing the tailpiece because fine tuners are knackered so decided to change strings too. Can someone please advise me. Is Jargar Medium a good choice for me for the first 12 months? I’ll be playing only in my living room just learning the basics.

[@rbodinnar]

Jargars are a good choice in their price range. You really need to jump up substantially to find a better string.

[@joefagan9335]

@@rbodinnar thanks. Done.

[@keiamakura4508]

How about chromcor? Prefer chromcor or piranito

[@sametpolat009]

What about cheap strings around 10 dollars like domunguez,alice?

[@francescaromanin5897]

What would you recommend for Yamaha electric cellos?

[@melomanification5755]

I tried Spirocore C and Gon my modern cello and hated them!!! Really harsh - took graininess to a new level. Like the cello has a really bad sore throat. The Evah Pirazzi Gold work well for me on the C&G - rich and super-responsive. I don’t like the Evah Gold on the A, though - thin, tinny and prone to awful squaking. Still looking for a good A. Larsen was PL, but not great. wondering about the Perpetual. Am getting a bit tired of spending a bundle to try strings that don’t turn out (I had to get rid of the Spirocore quickly as they were like fingernails on a chalk board!)

[@s.l5787]

Hmm try Larsen Solo A on strong tension... nice thick creamy sound. Not the best response though.

[@renanbrandao4953]

How much time did you experiment with Spirocores? At first they are horrible, mainly the G, but one month later they are so much better and you start to understand why is used so much by soloist, maybe it wont work well on very bright cellos. My Spirocores have a little more than 3 months now and they are awesome, sounds even better after my change of Bernadel rosin to Andrea Piacera rosin, full, round, warm and powerful. It was an act of faith to leave them one. I tried Magnarocore on my G but after a couple of weeks put it back my Spiro G. They match Larsen, Jargar (special forte A and special medium D) and Versum Solo top strings very well. My next g and c will probably be Versum Solo.

[@yangtai3121]

Really really helpfully video!! I have a question: my cello is a brand new cello and have used Larsen soloist A and D, spirocore G and C. But I found They are too bright except A. Do you have some recommendations that strings with warm tone? Thank you so much!

[@alex-simpson]

My advice for what it's worth: keep the strings as they are and just play your cello as often, and for as long, as you can. If it's brand new, the wood is still settling - over the next few years you'll notice it starting to settle and the warmth will develop.

[@faithite]

What songs were played?

[@melomanification5755]

Typo in the last comment - meant to say Larsen was “OK” but not great, on the A.

[@michelleteagueviolinonline4960]

thank you

[@rbodinnar]

you're welcome :)

[@rachaelmatheson9587]

Hi, I have a 7/8cello and would love some advice on string options... I’m thinking a string that is less thick? I also absolutely hate a screechy D and A string... what would you recommend?

[@rbodinnar]

Hi Rachael, What do you have on there at the moment?

[@rachaelmatheson9587]

Whitehorse Music well that’s the thing... I bought it with a professional set up included in the price... and I don’t know what strings it was set up with... I broke the D string and put a temporary cheap one on to maintain tension and so I could keep up practice, but it sounds so terrible that I’m assuming the original strings were quite good...

[@jean-baptistegrosselin7310]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video. (and as a nice plus you are really funny !)

[@ivanlemes13]

Jargar e Larsen .. pena que e uma fortuna adquirir isso..

[@408Bin]

The problem with this review is that it's a short term review and therefore not really relevant. How strings sound when new and how they sound after sustained use are very different.

[@sametpolat009]

What about La Bella cello strings? Are there anybody who used it?

[@tevbuff]

La Bella has Cello strings?!

[@sametpolat009]

@@tevbuff yes there are

[@tevbuff]

You’re right. I just googled them. There aren’t any reviews about them though. Have you tried them?

[@sametpolat009]

@@tevbuff no i didnt.I thought may be yo did

[@taylorered6874]

Which will negate an overly bright cello

[@rbodinnar]

Larsen medium strings would be great for an overly bright cello.

[@catherineso7751]

I am a beginner. Thanks for your video! Guess my teacher will stick out his tongue when I turn my cello into an evil piranhas !

[@TheCelloProdigy]

52:36 54:41

[@orion5992]

I hope they're not DULL like the "sound" in this video.

[@bryanhatch6688]

The Larsen Standard sounded best

[@tedc6694]

So quiet. I can't hear him talk

[@abyssiniahenry128]

He can probably swap out and tune strings as fast as a V8 Supercar pit stop. Appreciate the time and expense to do these videos. Get a big👍🏼from me.

[@jacobbssid2310]

Y'all's ears are built different 🤣🤣🤣

[@AirskiiMusic]

Wtf them prices...i play electric guitar and this is blowing my peasant mind

[@rbodinnar]

Yep! Guitarists always freak out when they decide to play cello and buy their first set of strings.

[@AirskiiMusic]

@@rbodinnar is it anything more than elitism bumping up the price? Im imagining some of these companies are guitar string manufacturers using a different name

[@zuccacello3362]

Same here I am an ex guitarist and the price range of that Spirocore C blew my mind ^^ luckily I found it on sale

[@proletariatpidgeon]

So sad that all of that work wasted put to waste because of poor mic quality.

[@thanasis-_-]

what do you mean the mic is fine

[@JSWilliamssr]

PLEASE SPEAK UP

[@nordfaen]

1. JARGAR SUPERIOR ❤ 2. PIRASTRO EVAH PIRAZZI ❤ (NOT gold 😀) 3. PIRASTRO OBLIGATO ❤ Thank YOU very much 😀

[@mismatmom]

Excellent review, thanks so much.

[@alexahenderson8608]

20:53 48:21